


Garlic Bites

by Secret_ninja1



Series: Secret Santa JG [2]
Category: Joker Game (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M, tazaki's parents are in here too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 13:25:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9073831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Secret_ninja1/pseuds/Secret_ninja1
Summary: Living as a vampire is hard enough without meeting your boyfriend's parents for the first time.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Serie7](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serie7/gifts).



“They do know that I’m a vampire, right?”

Kaminaga adjusted his jacket and combed his hair without the use of their bathroom mirror to check himself over. He had been excited to meet his boyfriend’s parents for months now, having discussed the date and what he needed to wear to impress his, hopefully, future in-laws.

Tazaki was outside of the bathroom, dressed in a pair of slacks and a button up shirt. He paused in fixing his cufflinks, eyes darting from his wrist to his phone that buzzed with a notification. “Uh…”

His lack of response was all Kaminaga needed to know. “Tazaki!” He could hear his boyfriend groan as he came out from the bathroom, dropping the comb on the dresser. “I thought we talked about this! You were supposed to break the news to them ages ago!”

“I know.” Tazaki buttoned his cuff and checked to see who the text was from. His mother. “It’s just… I can’t just come out and say you’re a vampire to my parents. Do you even know what impression that’s going to leave?”

“That I’m a couple hundred years older than you and our relationship could be seen as morally ambiguous?”

“No! Well, yes, but–that’s not the point!” Tazaki watched as Kaminaga snickered at his own joke. “They don’t believe in any type of folklore or mythical beings—”

“Aw, thank you.”

“—so explaining that you’re an immortal creature of the night won’t sit well with them.”

“I mean,” Kaminaga grinned and wiggled his eyebrows in a way that almost made Tazaki lose focus, “calling me a creature of the night could give them an entirely different connotation than the title of mythical being.”

Tazaki stared at him before sighing, opening his messages on his phone to reply. “And you wonder why I never take you seriously.”

“I can be a pretty serious guy when I want to be.” Kaminaga waited for a comeback, but after a couple seconds of Tazaki staring down at his phone, his grin fell. “What’s up?”

His boyfriend tapped on the screen, his thumbs dancing across the keypad before pocketing his phone. “Mom was letting me know that she was making spaghetti for dinner tonight.”

“Did you tell her–”

“That you don’t like garlic in your pasta, yes.” Tazaki remembered the first time he experimented with his own recipe while they were still in the early stages of their relationship. He created an olive oil and garlic sauce for his pasta dish the night Kaminaga came over, only to discover that vampires did indeed have an aversion to garlic. “I didn’t want you getting sick in front of them.”

Kaminaga grabbed his watch that was sitting on the bedside table and clasped it around his wrist. It was an older model he bought decades ago, but it still worked and he hardly left the house without it. “You know, that could have been avoided if you had just told them earlier.”

“Explaining that you have picky taste is easier than telling them you’re four-hundred years old.”

“At least I look young. I could have been bitten when I was sixty and then I would have been stuck like that forever.”

“Maybe then you would have matured a little more.”

“Hey!”

Tazaki turned to grab his keys before Kaminaga could see the grin on his face.

* * *

 

It was a two-hour car ride when they finally arrived, Tazaki’s father waiting outside to guide them down the driveway and instruct where they were parking. Kaminaga had barely waited until Tazaki turned off the car to get out and greet the man he had been waiting to see for so long.

Tazaki’s father was shorter than he had expected, but he didn’t seem to mind their difference in height as he held his hand out to him. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Kaminaga.” His voice was gentle, but his handshake was firm and it was then that Kaminaga realized where Tazaki’s personality came from.

“Tazaki has told me so much about you, sir. The pleasure’s all mine.” Kaminaga smiled and he felt Tazaki’s hand on his shoulder before he watched him embrace his father in a hug.

“Why don’t we go inside? You mother’s almost finished with dinner.”

“I thought you were supposed to be helping her?”

Tazaki’s father sputtered before he led the way. “You know how she is. I offered to help cook but she just told me to set the table. She accused me of trying to alter her recipe for tonight’s dinner, can you believe that?”

“You did it last time.”

“She adds too much butter.”

Kaminaga watched their exchange and couldn’t help but smile at them. It was nice to finally see Tazaki’s family and even more to see him happy. Kaminaga thought about his own parents, who had passed centuries ago, and wondered how they would have reacted to Tazaki. He laughed to himself, imagining the chaos that would have ensued if it had actually happened. His old home barely had enough room for the three of them, and four was pushing it.

As they made it to the front door, Kaminaga was the first one inside and the smell of homemade cooking was already apparent to him. Tazaki helped lead him through the house, passing halls and bedrooms and Kaminaga briefly imagined which room was Tazaki’s when he was younger.

The kitchen came into view when they rounded the corner, Tazaki’s mother adjusting the heat on the stove as they walked in. She had black hair similar to Tazaki’s and she was wearing a formal dress that should have been reserved for an actual dinner date rather than a stay at home meal. At least Kaminaga didn’t feel overdressed now.

“Dear,” Tazaki’s father caught her attention, “Tazaki and Kaminaga are here.”

She turned around and left the pot on the stove before she walked around the island counter and towards Tazaki. “It’s so nice to finally see you in person!” She reached to kiss Tazaki on the cheek and wasted no time in greeting Kaminaga the same way. “Do you have any idea how much Tazaki brags about you over the phone? All he does is talk about you!”

Her sweet voice made Tazaki’s cheeks color after being caught.

“Is that so?” Kaminaga teased him and he received a playful nudge in the arm by Tazaki.

“He’s been going on and on about you all year. His father and I have been offering to come down and visit, but he always made an excuse until now.” His mother was smiling despite the tone she was using, as if scolding Tazaki was nothing more than a joke at his expense. Which it probably was.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you sooner. My work schedule was usually to blame for it.” It was true that Kaminaga worked nights because he couldn’t stand being out in sunlight for long periods of time. Even Tazaki’s car, which they had tinted the windows darker for his sake, was a toll on his body during their trip. If Tazaki’s parents had visited some time before, Kaminaga wouldn’t have had the time to properly meet them like now.

“Well, it’s fine now that he’s here.” His father had intervened, making his way over to the table to finish setting the plates. “Tazaki, help your mother with dinner, would you?”

“Is there anything you need me to do, sir?” Kaminaga watched as Tazaki went with his mother to help prepare what was left while he was still standing by the counter.

“Well, you’re our guest so making you work wouldn’t be very polite. Though, you can help me set the table if you’d like.”

“I’d love to.”

* * *

 

When they were all finally seated, Tazaki had handed him the first plate that had every dish piled on. It felt more like a holiday celebration than a regular dinner, but if he learned anything about Tazaki and his family, it was that they liked making good first impressions.

Light conversation was carried between the four of them and Kaminaga found himself enjoying the experience. He felt disappointed that Tazaki wasn’t ready to reveal what he was, but he didn’t mind as much now that he knew how kind his parents were. If Tazaki was telling the truth about their reactions, he didn’t want to spoil the dinner and risk upsetting his boyfriend.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Tazaki’s mother set her napkin down on the table and stood, walking into the kitchen and coming back with a small tray of bread.

The smell was enough for Kaminaga to identify what it was.

“Mom,” Tazaki turned and got up, seeing that his suspicions were true. “I told you that Kaminaga doesn’t like garlic.”

“Oh, I know, honey.” She placed the tray in the middle of the table, three pieces of garlic bread lined up in a row. “I wasn’t going to make him eat any, but I just can’t imagine having pasta without any garlic bread!”

“It’s alright.” Kaminaga spoke before Tazaki could defend him again.

“Are you sure?” Tazaki knew how he reacted, even just by the smell of garlic nearby. As long as he didn’t eat it, he hoped Kaminaga could deal with dinner for a while longer without getting sick.

“Would I lie to you?” Kaminaga bat his eyes and put on a face, hoping it would be enough for Tazaki to drop the topic and sit back down.

It worked, but Tazaki was reluctant. He went back to his seat and continued eating, twirling his fork into the pasta. His father was quick to snatch a piece of bread from the tray and put it on his plate, but it looked as though he wasn’t close to eating it sometime soon.

Kaminaga continued eating his dinner and remained quiet, trying to block out the heavy stench of garlic in the air and stuffing himself with spaghetti to ease odor. It worked for a bit, but Kaminaga couldn’t completely ignore the way his stomach churned and his head swam from the incoming nausea.

Dinner was almost over; everyone’s plates were nearly empty and Kaminaga just needed to hold out for a bit more before he was free.

Tazaki’s father had gotten up and took his plate with him to put in the sink, returning with a cloth to dry his hands with. “Tazaki, there’s one more piece of garlic bread for you.”

“Ah, you can have it. I’m full from dinner.” Tazaki smiled and set his fork on his plate, showing that he was finished. The truth was that he had avoided eating the last piece for Kaminaga’s sake, knowing that he would continue to smell like garlic if he ate it. The last thing he wanted was to make his boyfriend avoid him for the rest of the day.

Tazaki’s father shrugged and reached between them for the bread, the smell passing close to Kaminaga and it took all he had to keep himself from gagging. He breathed out slowly to control himself, but it hardly worked.

“I’m sorry,” Kaminaga stood up from his seat, “I need to use the restroom.”

“It’s down the hall and—”

“I’ll show him the way.” Tazaki was quick to intervene, seeing how pale Kaminaga’s face was from where he was sitting. He put his hand on Kaminaga’s back in a way that seemed like he was leading him down the hall, but it was really a comforting gesture to keep him from losing his dinner.

As soon as they made it to the bathroom, Tazaki closed the door behind them and let Kaminaga have his space. He was hunched over the sink, breathing heavily and he heard him groan as he rested his forehead against the cool porcelain surface. “Take however long you need.”

“I’m sorry…” Kaminaga had muttered it under his breath, his voice hardly recognizable. He sounded as sick as he looked.

“It’s not your fault. Mom should have been more considerate.”

Kaminaga wanted to shake his head and deny it, but he didn’t want to make himself dizzy. He was sure she meant well. She didn’t know just how bad he _hated_ garlic. There was Tazaki’s hand on his back again, his palm rubbing the space between his shoulder blades and easing his urge to vomit.

“Do you need to drink?”

Kaminaga’s eyes snapped open. No, he didn’t need to. He drank enough blood from Tazaki to last him the rest of the week. They had planned ahead so he wouldn’t go hungry during the trip. “I’m fine.”

Tazaki wasn’t taking his answer. “No, you’re not. If you need to, I’m offering.” He always offered whenever Kaminaga needed to feed. From what he learned about vampires, drinking blood was one of the quickest ways for them to heal. The taste of blood was sure to get rid of the garlic-induced nausea that was making his boyfriend so weak.

Instead of waiting for his reply, Tazaki unfastened the cuff on his shirt and pulled his sleeve up, revealing the underside of his arm and the veins that laid underneath his skin. An old puncture mark from Kaminaga’s last bite was left just before the bend of his elbow, the bruise around it nearly faded as it healed.

The sight of his skin was appetizing, but Kaminaga was determined to sit his sickness out. He gently pushed his arm away and leaned closer over the sink, the vampire careful to keep his breathing under control again. He was ready to flat out deny him, but a heavy knock on the door startled him.

“Kaminaga?” It was his mother on the other side. “Are you alright?”

Tazaki cringed, realizing that his father must have noticed how sick he was. He had to make an excuse before she came in, or they were both going to be caught. “I think he’s sick from the trip!”

“The trip?”

“Y-yeah!” Tazaki pressed his back against the door in case she was going to force herself in to help. “He gets motion sick easily. The car ride is starting to catch up with him.”

“Oh, dear.” Tazaki felt guilty for making his mother worry. “Is there anything I can do to help? I think there’s medicine in the bathroom cabinet he can take.”

“Thank you.” Tazaki reached for the cabinet that was above the sink and opened it up, taking one of the medicine bottles out and setting it on the sink counter. “I think I found it. Do you want me to help clean up?”

“No, sweetie. You just be there for Kaminaga. Your father and I will clean up the table.” He could almost see the smile on her face through the door. “Please let him know I hope he feels better.”

“I will.” Tazaki waited until he was sure she had left before he pushed himself away from the door and put the bottle of pills back into the cabinet. Whatever he pulled out wasn’t even what they needed, anyway.

“Your mom is so nice.” Kaminaga forced a grin as he leaned up and balanced himself, careful of his stomach. He felt better after a few minutes away from the table, and knowing it was going to be cleaned of that garlic smell soon was already doing wonders for his health. Tazaki’s presence alone was helping him recuperate quicker than usual. “It almost makes me feel bad that I’m biting her son all the time.”

“Are you in any condition to be joking?” Tazaki meant for his voice to sound stern, but he couldn’t help the matching grin from appearing on his face at the sight of Kaminaga. He always brought in humor, even when he wasn’t in the best mood.

“Not really, but I can’t help it.” Kaminaga finally stood straight and lifted his head, trusting himself enough to not vomit in the sink now. “I think the worst of it is over, though.”

“Do you want to wait a few more minutes before coming out?”

Kaminaga nodded. Until that smell was completely gone, he didn’t want to return to the table for some time. “Just let your parents know that I’m okay.”

Tazaki moved over to him and kissed his cheek, squeezing his hand on his shoulder to let him know he was there for him before he left the bathroom to help his parents clean up.

* * *

 

“It was nice having you two over for dinner.”

Tazaki’s parents saw them out and walked them to the car, Kaminaga climbing into the passenger’s seat and rolling the window down so he could still talk. “Thank you for having us over. I’m sorry I wasn’t feeling well.”

“It’s no problem!” Tazaki’s mother waved him off and walked over to the car, putting her hand over his own. “I should have been more careful with your allergy.”

“Allergy?”

“Tazaki filled me in while we were cleaning. Honestly, he should have just told me you were allergic to garlic from the beginning. Then we would have avoided this whole mess!”

Kaminaga turned to hit Tazaki in the arm. “Yeah. You should have told your mother about my allergy sooner.” He was playfully shoved back, but not hard enough to actually injure him.

Tazaki’s father was on the driver’s side, talking to his son about something Kaminaga wasn’t paying attention to. His mother was taking all of his attention away to even focus on them.

“You know, Tazaki has never brought anyone home before.”

Kaminaga couldn’t help but smile at the confession. “Really?”

His mother could sense his excitement. “I think he’s really in love with you. You should hear the way he talks about you over the phone. I can’t ever get a word in!” She laughed and patted his hand.

“Well, I hope I can live up to you and your husband’s expectations. I want to make your son happy.”

“He already is with you. I don’t think you can do much else, really.” She watched Tazaki’s father from the other side and looked down at Kaminaga again. “I know you’re perfect for him.”

Kaminaga squeezed her hand gently. “Thank you.”

Tazaki’s father had stepped away from the vehicle after they were finished speaking, both watching as Tazaki backed out and headed towards home.

“I think dinner could have gone a little better. What do you think?” Tazaki glanced at him from the corner of his eyes as he turned down a street.

“I think it went fine.” Kaminaga paused for a moment, looking at the houses they passed. “Guess I should be more careful with my allergy next time.”

“I had to think of something, okay? It was the best way I could ensure that they don’t make garlic bread next time.”

“I’m a fearsome, blood-sucking—”

“You can’t eat corn without it getting stuck in your fangs.”

“That happened _one_ time.”

“You were so embarrassed.”

“It was our second date. How else was I supposed to feel?” Kaminaga sat back in his seat to pout, but even he knew it wasn’t very convincing. He knew Tazaki was teasing him about it, and he wasn’t mad enough to actually care.

“… I am planning to tell them one day.”

Kaminaga looked over at him. “You don’t have to, you know. It’s fine if they don’t find out.” Kaminaga didn’t want to ruin the relationship he now had with his parents if they were to discover what he really was.

“No, I owe you enough to be honest. If, for whatever reason, they don’t accept you, I’m not going to let them treat you any different than they did today. It’s just that… I’m not ready to tell them yet. I want them to get to know you better before anything else.”

Kaminaga could see the way Tazaki’s eyes were focused on the road, but he could tell he wanted to look at him instead. His grip on the steering wheel tightened and Kaminaga reached over to comfort him. “You know I love you, right?”

“I love you more.”

Kaminaga scoffed, but he knew he was being genuine. “You won’t always outdo me in the arts of wooing. I’ll have you know that I have decades of experience under my belt, and that is far more than you will ever have.”

“Oh, really?” Tazaki quirked an eyebrow. “Tell me: do you suck blood out of every man you meet?”

“Are you suck-shaming me?”


End file.
